When personal computers (PCs) were first introduced, one of their greatest appeals was that the machine was controlled by its user. This was in stark contract to the mainframe model, where multiple users shared a single machine. Resources on a mainframe computer were carefully shared between users by the operating system. On a PC having a single user at any time, this type of partitioning of resources was not necessary. As the PC began to displace the corporate mainframe computer, however, issues of control began to re-emerge. Corporate Information Technology (IT) departments, increasingly saw the desktop PC as part of the corporate infrastructure. This caused tension between an original goal of the PC revolution, that the user controls their own computer, and the new role they played in the corporation. This conflict continues today and is played out on a regular basis in companies around the world.
A similar tension exists with handheld and other portable computers. Such as wireless mobile communication devices. However, the situation with handheld computers is more complex for several reasons. Since handheld computers are becoming relatively inexpensive, many users purchase such devices for personal use. Such user-purchased devices cannot be said to be owned by a corporation of which the user is an employee, but they often come to contain corporate data such as contacts, calendar entries and email. Even when a handheld computer is purchased by a corporate employer and provided to an employee, the handheld computer is likely to be used outside the corporate premises. This may require external access to the corporate infrastructure. Allowing an unsecured device to access the corporate network offers potential for security breaches. Furthermore, when a handheld computer is enabled for wireless communications, a carrier becomes another interested party with respect to the handheld computer. The carrier owns and operates a wireless communication network in which the handheld computer is configured to operate, and therefore may want to exercise control over the traffic on that network. As well, the carrier may wish to add to their revenue by offering additional services to handheld computers. A carrier may thus be at odds with a corporate IT department in regard to handheld computer control, particularly where IT department controls may potentially increase network traffic or affect the carrier's ability to offer these services and thus reduce their revenue.
Therefore, there remains a need for a system and method for secure control of a wireless communication device, which allows each individual stakeholders, including the user, corporate owner or corporate system operator, carrier, and possibly other stakeholders, to control their device assets without affecting the other stakeholders.